Irish and Scottish expats in Beijing relive their home customs this winter

Around St. Paddy’s Day, the Irish Network of China hosts the annual Irish Ball. “The Ball is a full-on Irish event: ticket price covers free-flow Guinness and Jameson bars, there’s Kerrygold cheese and lots of Irish beef stew served all night!” promises community relations officer Mark Godfrey. The Irish Ball is also a philanthropic event, with proceeds split between the Gaelic Football club and Jinde, a Hebei charity that assists victims of AIDS and poverty. “The Irish have always been among the top givers to charity per head of population, partly because we have Bob Geldof and Bono to tell us so,” says Godfrey of the INC’s philanthropy.

For those who can’t wait ‘til March, the Scots are bringing the Ploughman Poet to Beijing on January 25 in the form of Robert Burns’ Night at The Bookworm (see p. 45). On this date, Burns nights are held all over the world by Scots and fans of Robbie Burns in celebration of the iconic poet’s birthdate. Jenny Niven, The Bookworm’s events and marketing manager explains that Burns’ suppers typically range from formal events featuring organized poems and speeches to large parties complete with a ceilidh (traditional Scottish dancing).

“At the Bookworm, I wanted to do something traditional, but that would feel inclusive,” says Niven. “The basic elements are the food—scotch broth or lentil soup, followed by haggis, neeps (turnips) and champit tatties (mashed potatoes), and served up with plenty of whisky.” Keeping with tradition, the event features a toast to Burns, an ode to a Haggis (performed as the Haggis is served), and a reading of Tom O’Shanter, a long narrative poem about whisky.

“These nights are brilliant fun and offer a highly unusual way to be entertained,” says Niven, adding “Also, they’re usually huge piss ups—the Scots are no stranger to a large measure.”

Jonathan Haagen